2013160920131e9612607201309092013Kleoniki Keklikoglou, Sarah Faulwetter, Georgios Chatzigeorgiou, Fabio Badalamenti, Militiadis Kitsos, Christos ArvanitidisThis is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.Abstract

This paper describes a dataset of polychaetes (Annelida) from 14 midlittoral rocky shore sampling sites in Greece and Italy (Mediterranean Sea). The dataset combines the outcome of four different projects studying the hard substrate midlittoral zone in the Mediterranean between 1984 and 2009. Samples were collected by scraping and collecting the organisms from a framed area. The maximal sampling depth was 1.5 m. In total, 123 polychaete species were recorded, five of which are new records for the respective biogeographic sectors of the Mediterranean. The dataset contains 788 occurrence records, fully annotated with all required metadata. These data contribute to the knowledge of a previously very understudied regional habitat, since at present, comprehensive lists of the midlittoral communities in the Mediterranean are provided through only a few, paper-based, studies. This dataset is one of the first electronic data compilations of the Mediterranean midlittoral zone communities and certainly the most comprehensive of its kind, contributing to the ongoing efforts of the Ocean Biogeographic Information System (OBIS) which aims at filling the gaps in our current knowledge of the world's oceans. It is accessible at http://ipt.vliz.be/resource.do?r=mediterraneanpolychaetaintertidal.

KeywordsMidlittoral zonePolychaetarocky shoresMediterranean SeabiodiversityintertidalItalyGreece1984–2009The compilation of this dataset forms part of the biodiversity core project of the Institute of Marine Biology, Biotechnology and Aquaculture of the Hellenic Centre for Marine Research. The dataset is published in the context of the Mediterranean node of the Ocean Biogeographic Information System (OBIS).Introduction

The Mediterranean Sea is an enclosed water basin with a very low tidal range, in the range of 20–40 cm (Day et al. 1995). Its intertidal zone is accordingly very narrow, and is often referred to as "midlittoral zone" instead of "intertidal zone", following the terminology of Stephenson and Stephenson (1949). Pérès and Picard (1964) subsequently described the hard bottom biocoenoses of the midlittoral zone in the Mediterranean Sea and defined its ecological attributes by using characteristic species. The midlittoral zone can also be created by considerable and steady wave-action without the existence of true tides (Stephenson and Stephenson 1949). Such irregular rhythms of immersion/ desiccation which depend on weather conditions create an extreme environment, allowing only species with certain characteristics to survive.

Despite the ecological importance and easy accessibility from the shore, only few studies have examined the species communities of the Mediterranean midlittoral zone (e.g. Ben-Eliahu and Safriel 1982, Cardell and Gili 1988, Sardà 1991). Most of these studies are paper-based and the information contained within is not readily accessible in machine-readable formats. Electronically available biogeographic information for the Mediterranean Sea is still fragmented for all subregions and habitats (Arvanitidis et al. 2006), and none of the global biogeographic databases (OBIS, http://www.iobis.org; GBIF, http://data.gbif.org) contain systematically collected data on the Mediterranean midlittoral zone.

This study attempts to increase our current knowledge of the rocky midlittoral zone of Mediterranean Sea by providing species occurrence data of polychaete species, assembled from four independent and previously unpublished datasets. Polychaetes are often used as a representative group of macrobenthic communities because they tend to be the dominant taxon in these communities and hence, they are used as indicators of environmental disturbance (e.g. Giangrande et al. 2005, Olsgard et al. 2003). The present dataset contains georeferenced and fully documented information on 123 species (788 individuals) of polychaetes, recorded from 14 regions/ sampling sites in the Aegean Sea and in Italy, from 1984 to 2009 (Table 1). Five species are new records for the respective biogeographic sectors in the Mediterranean region.

Project descriptionTitle

This dataset combines the data of four independent sampling campaigns: (a) the monitoring of midlittoral rocky shores in Crete in the framework of the NaGISA project (Natural Geography in Shore Areas, http://www.coml.org/projects/natural-geography-shore-areas-nagisa); (b) the study of the biodiversity of midlittoral rocky shores in the framework of the PhD thesis of Militadis-Spyridonas Kitsos (Aristotelian University of Thessaloniki); (c) the preliminary study to establish marine protected areas in Sicily (Capo Gallo and Zingaro, north-western coast of Sicily, Italy) and (d) a monitoring project to assess the effects of a temporal explosion of Sabellaria spp. and Mytilaster spp. (Balestrate, north-western coast of Sicily, Italy).

Alykes and Elounda: Both sampling sites are located on the North coast of Crete (Eastern Mediterranean) and are characterised by a continuous hard bottom habitat with dense algal coverage (Cystoseira spp., Sargassum sp., Corallinales spp.) and a moderate wave exposure. The area of Alykes has on average a denser algal coverage than the area of Elounda. The intertidal substrate is dominated by limestone rocks. None of the sites is impacted by detectable anthropogenic activity, though a sandy beach in ca 500 m distance of the sampling area in Elounda is subjected to moderate beach tourism and increased leisure boat traffic in the summer months.

Evripos channel: The area is located in the town of Chalkida (Euboea, Eastern Mediterranean) and is characterised by strong hydrodynamic changes caused by strong tidal currents. The midlittoral zone of this channel is an artificial hard bottom habitat (concrete). Three stations were chosen in this area with different levels of hydrodynamism: Evripos_1a with low, Evripos_1b with moderate and Evripos_1c with high hydrodynamic intensity. Evripos_1a is characterised by dense photophilous algal coverage dominated by Corallinaelongata. Evripos_1b is covered by photophilous macroalgae (60%) and by the mollusk Mytilusgalloprovincialis (40%). Finally, the station Evripos_1c is characterised by high densities of M.galloprovincialis. Despite their urban location, the stations are not noticeably affected by organic discharges since the strong currents prevailing in the area dissipate pollution.

Thermaikos Gulf: Thermaikos Gulf is an embayment in the North part of the Aegean Sea (Eastern Mediterranean) and is strongly impacted by urban pollution. The midlittoral zone sampled here is an artificial hard bottom habitat (concrete). At this site, three stations were sampled, with an increase of pollution intensity from station Thermaikos_2a to Thermaikos_2c. The station Thermaikos_2a is located in Nea Mixaniona and is characterised by low hydrodynamic intensity. The algal coverage at this station is dominated by the macroalga Antithamnioncruciatum. The station Thermaikos_2b is located in Neoi Epivates and receives intense wave action. The substrate of this station is covered by beds of the mollusk Mytilusgalloprovincialis. The station Thermaikos_2c is located in front of the Thessaloniki Concert Hall and is sheltered from strong waves. The substrate of this station is covered by the mollusk M.galloprovincialis and the alga Ulvalactuca.

Nea Roda and Porto Karas: Both areas are located in Chalkidiki (North Aegean Sea, Eastern Mediterranean) but differ in terms of wave exposure: Nea Roda is moderately exposed, Porto Karas sheltered. The substrate in Nea Roda consists of granite, in Porto Karas the substrate is artificial (concrete). Mollusks are the dominant taxon in Nea Roda, whereas the midlittoral zone of Porto Karas is characterised by low densities of photophilous macroalgae. Nea Roda is a pristine area, whereas the stations in Porto Karas are located in a typical hotel marina and are subjected to slightly increased levels of organic pollution.

Porto Lagos: The sampling stations are located in a small port in Vistonicos Gulf (North Aegean Sea, Eastern Mediterranean) and is characterised by low-intensity hydrodynamism, low salinity and an artificial substrate (concrete). The midlittoral zone is dominated by the polychaete Ficopomatusenigmaticus which forms extensive biogenic calcareous layers of 3-4 cm height. Inside the port area, slightly increased levels of organic pollutions were detected.

Balestrate and Zingaro: Both areas are located in the Gulf of Castellammare. Balestrate is an outcrop of calcarenitic rocks surrounded by sand and is located in the centre of the Gulf. In this area, Sabellariaalveolata reefs temporarily proliferated between 1984–89 (preceding the sampling activities) in the infralittoral and midlittoral layers as a consequence of a wine distillery outfall. In the midlittoral zone, S.alveolata was associated with Mytilaster spp. beds. Zingaro, now a terrestrial and coastal reserve without influences from major anthropogenic stressors, is a steep calcareous cliff that stretches along the westernmost side of the Gulf. The midlittoral zone is characterised by the presence of vermetid reefs formed by the mollusk Dendropomapetraeum. Both areas are exposed to moderate wave action.

Capo Gallo: Capo Gallo, now a marine protected area, is a steep calcareous cliff located at the northern end of the Gulf of Palermo, not far from the city of Palermo. As in Zingaro, the midlittoral zone is characterised by the presence of vermetid reefs formed by the mollusk Dendropomapetraeum. The area is exposed to the dominant wind direction, resulting in increased wave action at the shore. No major sources of pollution are present in the vicinity.

Sampling methodsStudy extent

The data cover several independent sampling events over a time period of 25 years (1984–2009) and originate from 14 sampling sites in Italy and Greece (Mediterranean Sea). Samples were collected from the midlittoral zone from a maximum depth of 1.5 m. Concerning the distribution of polychaetes, this habitat is understudied in the Mediterranean Sea — in fact, the Ocean Biogeographic Information System contains less than 300 polychaete distribution records in the depth range of 0–5 m for the entire Mediterranean Sea, and none of these are from the intertidal zone. The present dataset thus provides an important addition to the exiting data for this habitat in the region (Fig. 2).

Sampling description

Samples from Crete were collected from two sites, Alykes and Elounda. Both sites were sampled in September 2007, Alykes in June 2008 and Elounda in February 2009. Strong wave action prevented the site in Elounda from being sampled concurrently with the site in Alykes during the second year. Samples were collected according to the NaGISA protocol (Iken and Konar 2003). At each site, the high, mid- and low midlittoral zone was determined and five random replicate units were collected from each zone by placing a plexiglas frame (25x25 cm) on the substrate and scraping the framed area completely. The samples were then collected with a netted shovel into plastic bags, washed through a 0.5 mm mesh sieve and fixed in 99% ethanol. In the laboratory, all samples were identified to the most precise taxonomic level possible, using the most recent literature for the taxon. Animals without a head were considered as fragments and were not identified. The individual taxon counts were directly entered into electronic worksheets (Microsoft Excel), along with all metadata concerning the identification (date, identifier, notes, literature used). Thus, the introduction of additional errors during the transcription of lab notes into an electronic format was avoided.

Samples from Evripos channel, Thermaikos Gulf, Chalkidiki and Porto-Lagos were collected from September 1997 until October 1997. At each site, five random replicate units were collected. Two kind of samplers were used: (a) a metallic frame (20x20 cm) with a 0.5 mm mesh bag attached to its upper part (Chintiroglou and Koukouras 1992); (b) an iron frame (20x20 cm) with plastic threads woven through holes on the sides of the frame, forming a grid. The framed surface of the substrate was scraped and collected into plastic bags with 10% formalin. In the laboratory, the samples were washed through a 1.5 mm and a 0.5 mm mesh sieve and fixed in 5% formalin. All samples were sorted into major taxonomic groups and identified to species level using various identification keys, but only the polychaete species were digitised and included in the present dataset, in order to form a thematic entity. Data from the five replicates were pooled, the dataset for these records thus contains the average of abundances.

Samples from Italy were collected in 1984, 1986 and 1989. In Zingaro, samples were collected in spring of 1984, in Capo Gallo in spring, autumn and winter of 1986 and in Balestrate once per season in 1989. The number of replicate units per sample vary between 4 and 13. Samples were collected by scraping the surface of a 20x20 cm square, stored in plastic bags and subsequently fixed in a 5% solution of sea water and formalin.In the laboratory, samples were sieved through a 0.5 mm mesh size and preserved in 75% ethanol. Polychaetes were sorted into families and then identified to species level using various identification keys.

Quality control

All scientific names were standardised against the World Register of Marine species using the Taxon Match tool (http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=match). If recent taxonomic reviews were available that had not been incorporated into WoRMS at the time of standardisation, nomenclature follows those reviews. Subjective synonyms were kept in the dataset as they had been originally recorded, with a reference to the currently accepted name.

Step description

The samples had been obtained independently by three different research teams over a period of 25 years as described in detail above. In an attempt to assemble polychaete occurrence data of the Mediterranean midlittoral zone, the datasets included in this study were obtained from the respective colleagues, cross-checked, annotated, quality-controlled and transformed into a standard electronic format (Fig. 3).

Geographic coverageDescription

Samples were collected at 14 sampling sites in Italy and Greece, Mediterranean Sea, from a maximum depth of 1.5 m (Table 1, Fig. 1). All data are collected from the midlittoral zone, characterised by the low and high water marks at those places where a tide is present, and the characteristics of the ecological zonation where the midlittoral zone is defined mainly by the gradient of emersion/ desiccation resulting from wave action.

The present dataset contains the first electronically available quantitative data on midlittoral polychaetes in the entire Mediterranean Sea. Previous studies of the habitat in the region are scarce, often qualitative and not electronically available.

The original dataset comprises distribution information for 123 polychaete species in 22 families. However, following recent taxonomic literature, several of the 127 species are currently regarded as synonyms. The present dataset, after updating the taxonomy, contains therefore distribution records for 123 species (Table 2). Of these, five species have been recorded for the first time in the respective area.

The species richness of the 22 families is very heterogeneous. Syllidae are the family with the highest species richness, comprising 33.3% of the species in the dataset, followed by Nereididae with 12.6% of the found species and Serpulidae with 10.6% (Fig. 4). Only nine families are represented by more than 3 species, whereas ten families are represented by a single species only.

Species richness at the different sampling sites is very heterogenous, with only a single species found in Porto Karas to 34 species found in Capo Gallo. Likewise, the number of higher taxa is different across locations, e.g. the 24 species recorded in Balestrate belong to 15 different families, whereas the 30 species recorded each in Alykes and Evripos St. 1c belong to only 10 families (Fig. 5).

The dataset is available via the GBIF Internet Publishing Toolkit (IPT) of the Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ). This IPT installation serves as the European node of the Ocean Biogeographic Information System (EurOBIS). The data will also be harvested by and made available through the International OBIS database, as well as through the data portal of the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). The dataset is available as a DarwinCoreArchive, all fields are mapped to DarwinCore terms (http://rs.tdwg.org/dwc/).

This publication refers to the most recent version of the dataset available through the IPT server or EurOBIS. Future changes to the dataset due to quality control activities might change its content or structure.

Data set 1.

Column label

Column description

recordNumber

A unique identifier for the record within the data set or collection.

scientificName

The scientific name of the taxon, including authorship.

scientificNameAuthorship

The authorship information for the scientificName formatted according to the conventions of the applicable nomenclaturalCode.

acceptedNameUsage

The full name, with authorship and date information if known, of the currently valid (zoological) taxon.

taxonRemarks

Comments or notes about the taxon or name.

specificEpithet

The species epithet of the scientificName.

identificationQualifier

A brief phrase or a standard term ("cf.", "aff.") to express the determiner's doubts about the Identification.

genus

The full scientific name of the genus in which the taxon is classified.

family

The full scientific name of the family in which the taxon is classified.

order

The full scientific name of the orde in which the taxon is classified.

class

The full scientific name of the class in which the taxon is classified.

phylum

The full scientific name of the phylum in which the taxon is classified.

kingdom

The full scientific name of the kingdom in which the taxon is classified.

fieldNumber

Denotes the code of each replicate unit.

fieldNotes

Notes about this occurrence record.

EventDate

The sampling date.

verbatimEventDate

The verbatim expression of the sampling date.

year

The sampling year.

month

The sampling month.

day

The sampling day.

locality

The specific location where the sample was taken.

municipality

The full, unabbreviated name of the next smaller administrative region than county (city, municipality, etc.) in which the sampling location occurs.

island

The name of the island on or near which the sampling location occurs.

country

The name of the country in which the sampling location occurs.

countryCode

The standard code of the country in which the sampling location occurs.

continent

The name of the continent in which the sampling location occurs.

waterBody

The name of the water body in which the sampling location occurs.

decimalLatitude

The geographic latitude (in decimal degrees, using the spatial reference system given in geodeticDatum) of the geographic center of a Location. Positive values are north of the Equator, negative values are south of it. Legal values lie between -90 and 90, inclusive.

decimalLongitude

The geographic longitude (in decimal degrees, using the spatial reference system given in geodeticDatum) of the geographic center of a Location. Positive values are east of the Greenwich Meridian, negative values are west of it. Legal values lie between -180 and 180, inclusive.

GeoreferenceSources

A list (concatenated and separated) of maps, gazetteers, or other resources used to georeference the Location, described specifically enough to allow anyone in the future to use the same resources.

coordinateUncertaintyInMeters

The horizontal distance (in meters) from the given decimalLatitude and decimalLongitude describing the smallest circle containing the whole of the sampling location.

habitat

A category or description of the habitat from which the samples were collected.

minimumDepthInMeters

The lesser depth of a range of depth below the local surface, in meters.

maximumDepthInMeters

The greater depth of a range of depth below the local surface, in meters.

samplingProtocol

The description of the method or protocol used for sample collection.

basisOfRecord

The specific nature of the data record, as described in http://rs.tdwg.org/dwc/terms/type-vocabulary/index.htm.

preparations

Preparations and preservation methods for a specimen.

individualCount

The number of individuals in a replicate sample unit. In cases where replicates had been pooled, the average abundances are not included under "individualCount" but under "dynamicProperties"

dynamicProperties

Includes here as the only attribute "meanAbundance". These are the average abundances of those samples where the replicates had been pooled.

recordedBy

A list (concatenated and separated) of names of people responsible for recording the original Occurrence.

identifiedBy

A list (concatenated and separated) of names of people, groups, or organizations who identified the specimen.

dateIdentified

The date on which the specimen was identified.

identificationReferences

A list (concatenated and separated) of references (publication, global unique identifier, URI) used for identifying the specimen.

institutionCode

The name (or acronym) in use by the institution having custody of the object(s) or information referred to in the record.

institutionID

An identifier for the institution having custody of the object(s) or information referred to in the record.

datasetID

An identifier for the set of data.

datasetName

The name identifying the data set from which the record was derived.

rights

Information about rights held in and over the resource (copyright, intellectual property, etc.).

rightsHolder

A person or organization owning or managing rights over the resource.

id

A unique identifier for the record within the data set or collection, auto-incrementing number automatically added by the system.

taxonID

Aphia ID (Unique Identifier for the taxon within the World Register of Marine Species - www.marinespecies.org)

ReferencesAguadoMTSan MartínG.2007Syllidae (Polychaeta) from Lebanon with two new reports for the Mediterranean SeaCahiers de Biologie Marine48207224ArvanitidisCValavanisVDEleftheriouACostelloMJFaulwetterSGotsisPKitsosMSKirmtzoglouIZenetosAPetrovAGalilBPapageorgiouN2006MedOBIS: biogeographic information system for the eastern Mediterranean and Black SeaMarine Ecology Progress Series316225230http://www.int-res.com/abstracts/meps/v316/p225-230/10.3354/meps316225BarnichR.FiegeD.2003The Aphroditoidea (Annelida: Polychaeta) of the Mediterranean SeaAbhandlungen der Senckenbergischen Naturforschenden Gesellschaft5591167Ben-EliahuMNSafrielUN1982A comparison between species diversities of polychaetes from tropical temperate structurally similar rocky intertidal habitatsJournal of Biogeography937139010.2307/2844570CardellM. J.GiliJ. M.1988Distribution of a population of annelid polychaetes in the “trottoir” of the midlittoral zone on the coast of North-East Spain, Western MediterraneanMarine Biology99839210.1007/BF00644980Carrera-ParraLF.2006Revision of Lumbrineris de Blainville, 1828 (Polychaeta: Lumbrineridae)Zootaxa1336164ChintiroglouC.KoukourasA.1992A population of the sea anemone Anemoniaviridis (Főrskal, 1775) and its associated flora and fauna, in the North Aegean SeaInternationale Revue der gesamten Hydrobiologie und Hydrographie7748349510.1002/iroh.19920770311DayJohn W.PontDidierHelsenPhilippe F.IbañezCarlès1995Impacts of sea-level rise on deltas in the Gulf of Mexico and the Mediterranean: The importance of pulsing events to sustainabilityEstuaries18464664710.2307/1352382FauchaldK.1977The polychaete worms, definitions and keys to the orders, families and generaNatural History Museum of Los Angeles CountyLos Angeles188FauvelP.1923Faune de France: Polychètes errantesFédération Française des Sociétés de Sciences NaturellesParis488FauvelP.1927Faune de France: Polychètes SédentairesLechevalierParis494GiangrandeAdrianaLiccianoMargheritaMuscoLuigi2005Polychaetes as environmental indicators revisitedMarine Pollution Bulletin501111531162http://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0025326X0500358910.1016/j.marpolbul.2005.08.003HoltheT.1986PolychaetaTerebellomorphaMarine Invertebrates of Scandinavia71192IkenK.KonarB.2003Natural Geography in Nearshore Areas (NaGISA): the nearshore component of the Census of Marine LifeGayana67153160OlsgardFBrattegardTHoltheT2003Polychaetes as surrogates for marine biodiversity: lower taxonomic resolution and indicator groupsBiodiversity and Conservation1210331049http://link.springer.com/article/10.1023%2FA%3A102280040525310.1023/A:1022800405253PérèsJean-MariePicardJacques1964Nouveau manuel de bionomie benthique de la mer MéditerranéeRecueil des Travaux de la Station Marine d' Endoume31471137San MartínG1984Estudio biogeográfico, faunistico y sistemático de los poliquetos de la familia Silidos (Syllidae: Polychaeta) en BalearesUniversidad Complutense de MadridMadrid529San MartínG.2003AnnelidaPolychaeta II: SyllidaeMuseo Nacional de Ciencias NaturalesMadrid554SardàRafael1991Polychaete communities related to plant covering in the mediolittoral and infralittoral zones of the Balearic Islands (Western Mediterranean)P.S.Z.N.I: Marine Ecology12434136010.1111/j.1439-0485.1991.tb00263.xStephensonT. A.StephensonAnne1949The universal features of zonation between tide-marks on rocky coastsJournal of Ecology37228930510.2307/2256610ten HoveHarry A.KupriyanovaElena K.2009Taxonomy of Serpulidae (Annelida, Polychaeta): The state of affairsZootaxa20361126VieitezJ. M.AlosC.ParaparJ.2004Fauna Iberica: AnnelidaPolychaeta IAnnelida Polychaeta I25Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas53010.3897/BDJ.1.e961.figure1Figure 1.

Map of the sampling locations

10.3897/BDJ.1.e961.figure2Figure 2.

Temporal distribution of the number of polychaete records in the Mediterranean Sea present in the Ocean Biogeographic Information System (OBIS) and new contributions by the MidMedPol dataset. Only records from OBIS that contain information about the collection year were included, and data from before 1960 were omitted for reasons of clarity. a number of records for all depths, b number of records in the depth range of 0–5m. Diagrams based on the data from Suppl. material 1.

10.3897/BDJ.1.e961.figure3Figure 3.

Overview of all steps leading to the final release of the dataset: 1 sampling, independently performed at the three different institutions (AUTH = Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, UNIPA = University of Palermo, HCMR = Hellenic Centre for Marine Research) 2 identification of polychaete specimens in the laboratory 3 data in paper-based format 4 digitisation 5 data in electronic format (spreadsheets) 6 integration of the three independent datasets into a standardised format, exclusion of records not identified to species level, retrieval of missing information, georeferencing of coordinates through Google Maps, standardisation of taxonomy against the World Register of Marine Species and recent literature, general quality control 7 export of data as a DarwinCore Archive 8 generation of dataset-level metadata 9 publication of the data as a data paper and through an IPT server10 in the future, further dissemination of data by integration into other databases, personal downloads, archiving, etc.

10.3897/BDJ.1.e961.figure4Figure 4.

Distribution of species per family (abundance and percentage) for the most species-rich families in the MidMedPol dataset. Families with less than four species were combined in the category "Others". These are: Sabellariidae, Terebellidae (3 species each), Capitellidae (2 species), Amphinomidae, Aphroditidae, Chrysopetalidae, Dorvilleidae, Maldanidae, Oenonidae, Opheliidae, Orbiniidae, Pholoidae and Polynoidae (1 species each). Diagram based on the data from Suppl. material 2.

10.3897/BDJ.1.e961.figure5Figure 5.

Number of species, genera and families per sampling location. Diagram based on the data from Suppl. material 3

Table 1.

Coordinates, depth and sampling dates of the sampling localities

Country

Sampling Site

Latitude

Longitude

Minimum depth (in meters)

Maximum depth (in meters)

Sampling period

Greece

Alykes

35.41461

24.98816

0

0.5

09/2007 and 06/2008

Greece

Elounda

35.26125

25.75178

0

0.5

09/2007 and 05/2009

Greece

Evripos channel (St. 1a)

38.46432

23.5917

0

0.2

09/1997-10/1997

Greece

Evripos channel (St. 1b)

38.46342

23.59038

0

0.2

09/1997-10/1997

Greece

Evripos channel (St. 1c)

38.46302

23.58922

0

0.2

09/1997-10/1997

Greece

Thermaikos Gulf (St.2a)

40.46238

22.85345

0

0.2

09/1997-10/1997

Greece

Thermaikos Gulf (St.2b)

40.50664

22.9078

0

0.2

09/1997-10/1997

Greece

Thermaikos Gulf (St.2c)

40.59685

22.94731

0

0.2

09/1997-10/1997

Greece

Nea Roda

40.38238

23.93882

0

1.5

09/1997-10/1997

Greece

Porto Karas

40.07488

23.79555

0

0.3

09/1997-10/1997

Greece

Porto Lagos

41.00581

25.11961

0

0.2

09/1997-10/1997

Italy

Balestrate

38.05072

12.99988

0

0.3

1989 (spring, summer, autumn, winter)

Italy

Zingaro

38.09721

12.8027

0

0.3

1984 (spring)

Italy

Capo Gallo

38.21174

13.28836

0

0.3

1986 (spring, autumn, winter)

Table 2.

Taxa identified to species-level are included in the dataset and new records for the geographic areas.

Family

Species

New record for area

References used for identification

Amphinomidae

Chloeiavenusta Quatrefages, 1866

Fauvel 1923

Aphroditidae

Pontogeniachrysocoma (Baird, 1865)

Fauvel 1923

Capitellidae

Capitellacapitata (Fabricius, 1780)

Fauvel 1927

Capitellidae

Dasybranchuscaducus (Grube, 1846)

Fauvel 1927

Chrysopetalidae

Chrysopetalumdebile (Grube, 1855)

Fauvel 1923, Vieitez et al. 2004

Cirratulidae

Aphelochaetafiliformis (Keferstein, 1862)

Fauvel 1927

Cirratulidae

Aphelochaetamarioni (de Saint Joseph, 1894)

Fauvel 1927

Cirratulidae

Caulleriellaalata (Southern, 1914)

Fauvel 1927

Cirratulidae

Cirriformiachrysoderma (Claparède, 1869)

Fauvel 1927

Cirratulidae

Dodecaceriaconcharum Örsted, 1843

Fauvel 1927

Cirratulidae

Timaretefiligera (Delle Chiaje, 1828)

Fauvel 1927

Dorvilleidae

Schistomeringosrudolphii (delle Chiaje, 1828)

Fauvel 1923

Eunicidae

Eunicepurpurea Grube, 1866

Fauvel 1923

Eunicidae

Eunicetorquata Quatrefages, 1866

Fauvel 1923

Eunicidae

Lysidicecollaris Grube, 1870

Fauvel 1923, http://www.ceab.csic.es/~dani/Lysidice.html

Eunicidae

Lysidiceninetta Audouin & Milne-Edwards, 1833

Fauvel 1923, http://www.ceab.csic.es/~dani/Lysidice.html

Eunicidae

Marphysafallax Marion & Bobretzky, 1875

Fauvel 1923

Eunicidae

Marphysasanguinea (Montagu, 1815)

Fauvel 1923

Eunicidae

Nematonereisunicornis (Grube, 1840)

Fauvel 1923, Fauchald 1977

Eunicidae

Palolasiciliensis (Grube, 1840)

Fauvel 1923

Lumbrineridae

Lumbrineriscoccinea (Renier, 1804)

Carrera-Parra 2006

Lumbrineridae

Lumbrinerisinflata Moore, 1911

Fauvel 1923

Lumbrineridae

Scoletomafunchalensis (Kinberg, 1865)

Fauvel 1923

Lumbrineridae

Scoletomaimpatiens (Claparède, 1868)

Fauvel 1923

Maldanidae

Praxillellagracilis (M. Sars, 1861)

Fauvel 1927

Nereididae

Ceratonereiscostae (Grube, 1840)

Fauvel 1923

Nereididae

Neanthescaudata (Delle Chiaje, 1827)

Fauvel 1923

Nereididae

Neanthesfucata (Savigny in Lamarck, 1818)

Aegean Sea, Greece

Vieitez et al. 2004

Nereididae

Neanthesnubila (Quatrefages, 1865)

Vieitez et al. 2004

Nereididae

Nereissplendida Grube, 1840

Fauvel 1923

Nereididae

Nereislamellosa Ehlers, 1864

Vieitez et al. 2004

Nereididae

Nereispelagica Linnaeus, 1758

Fauvel 1923

Nereididae

Nereisperivisceralis Claparède, 1868

Eastern Mediterranean

Vieitez et al. 2004

Nereididae

Nereispulsatoria (Savigny, 1822)

Vieitez et al. 2004

Nereididae

Nereisrava Ehlers, 1864

Fauvel 1923

Nereididae

Perinereiscultrifera (Grube, 1840)

Fauvel 1923, Vieitez et al. 2004

Nereididae

Perinereismacropus (Claparède, 1870)

Fauvel 1923

Nereididae

Platynereisdumerilii (Audouin & Milne Edwards, 1834)

Fauvel 1923, Vieitez et al. 2004

Nereididae

Pseudonereisanomala Gravier, 1900

Vieitez et al. 2004

Nereididae

Websterinereisglauca (Claparède, 1870)

Fauvel 1923

Oenonidae

Arabellageniculata (Claparède, 1868)

Fauvel 1923

Opheliidae

Polyophthalmuspictus (Dujardin, 1839)

Fauvel 1927

Orbiniidae

Protoariciaoerstedi (Claparède, 1864)

Fauvel 1927

Pholoidae

Pholoeinornata Johnston, 1839

Barnich and Fiege 2003

Phyllodocidae

Eulaliaclavigera (Audouin & Milne Edwards, 1833)

Aegean Sea, Greece

Vieitez et al. 2004

Phyllodocidae

Eulaliaviridis (Linnaeus, 1767)

Fauvel 1923

Phyllodocidae

Eumidasanguinea (Örsted, 1843)

Vieitez et al. 2004

Phyllodocidae

Mystapicta (Quatrefages, 1865)

Vieitez et al. 2004

Phyllodocidae

Nereiphyllarubiginosa (Saint-Joseph, 1888)

Fauvel 1923

Phyllodocidae

Phyllodocemacrophthalma Schmarda, 1861

Fauvel 1923

Phyllodocidae

Phyllodocemadeirensis Langerhans, 1880

Fauvel 1923

Phyllodocidae

Pterocirrusmacroceros (Grube, 1860)

Fauvel 1923

Polynoidae

Lepidonotusclava (Montagu, 1808)

Barnich and Fiege 2003, Fauvel 1923

Sabellariidae

Sabellariaalcocki Gravier, 1906

Fauvel 1927

Sabellariidae

Sabellariaalveolata (Linnaeus, 1767)

Fauvel 1927

Sabellariidae

Sabellariaspinulosa Leuckart, 1849

Fauvel 1927

Sabellidae

Amphiglenamediterranea (Leydig, 1851)

Fauvel 1927

Sabellidae

Branchiommalucullanum (Delle Chiaje, 1828)

Fauvel 1927

Sabellidae

Chonecollaris Langerhans, 1881

Fauvel 1927

Sabellidae

Demonaxbrachychona (Claparède, 1870)

Fauvel 1927

Sabellidae

Oriopsisarmandi (Claparède, 1864)

Fauvel 1927

Sabellidae

Pseudopotamillareniformis (Bruguière, 1789)

Fauvel 1927

Serpulidae

Ficopomatusenigmaticus (Fauvel, 1923)

Fauvel 1927

Serpulidae

Hydroidesdianthus (Verrill, 1873)

Fauvel 1927

Serpulidae

Hydroideselegans (Haswell, 1883)

Fauvel 1927

Serpulidae

Januapagenstecheri (Quatrefages, 1865)

Fauvel 1927

Serpulidae

Pileolariamilitaris Claparède, 1868

Fauvel 1927

Serpulidae

Serpulaconcharum Langerhans, 1880

Fauvel 1927

Serpulidae

Serpulavermicularis Linnaeus, 1767

Fauvel 1927

Serpulidae

Simplariapseudomilitaris (Thiriot-Quievreux, 1965)

Fauvel 1927

Serpulidae

Spirobranchuslamarcki (Quatrefages, 1866)

Fauvel 1927

Serpulidae

Spirobranchuspolytrema (Philippi, 1844)

Fauvel 1927

Serpulidae

Spirorbismarioni Caullery & Mesnil, 1897

Fauvel 1927

Serpulidae

Vermiliopsisinfundibulum (Philippi, 1844)

ten Hove and Kupriyanova 2009

Serpulidae

Vermiliopsisstriaticeps (Grube, 1862)

Fauvel 1927

Spionidae

Dipolydoraarmata (Langerhans, 1880)

Fauvel 1927

Spionidae

Dipolydoraflava (Claparède, 1870)

Fauvel 1927

Spionidae

Polydoraciliata (Johnston, 1838)

Fauvel 1927

Spionidae

Polydorahoplura Claparède, 1869

Fauvel 1927

Syllidae

Branchiosyllisexilis (Gravier, 1900)

San Martín 2003

Syllidae

Braniapusilla (Dujardin, 1851)

Fauvel 1923

Syllidae

Exogonedispar (Webster, 1879)

Fauvel 1923

Syllidae

Haplosyllisspongicola (Grube, 1855)

Fauvel 1923

Syllidae

Myrianidaconvoluta (Cognetti, 1953)

San Martín 2003

Syllidae

Myrianidaedwardsi (Saint Joseph, 1887)

Fauvel 1923

Syllidae

Myrianidaprolifera (O.F. Müller, 1788)

Fauvel 1923

Syllidae

Myrianidaquindecimdentata (Langerhans, 1884)

San Martín 2003

Syllidae

Odontosyllisctenostoma Claparède, 1868

Fauvel 1923

Syllidae

Odontosyllisgibba Claparède, 1863

Fauvel 1923

Syllidae

Opisthosyllisbrunnea Langerhans, 1879

San Martín 2003

Syllidae

Paraehlersiaferrugina (Langerhans, 1881)

Fauvel 1923

Syllidae

Prosphaerosyllisxarifae (Hartmann-Schröder, 1960)

San Martín 2003

Syllidae

Salvatoriaclavata (Claparède, 1863)

Fauvel 1923

Syllidae

Salvatorianeapolitana (Goodrich, 1930)

San Martín 2003

Syllidae

Sphaerosyllisbulbosa Southern, 1914

Fauvel 1923

Syllidae

Sphaerosyllishystrix Claparède, 1863

Fauvel 1923

Syllidae

Sphaerosyllisovigera Langerhans, 1879

Fauvel 1923

Syllidae

Sphaerosyllispirifera Claparède, 1868

Fauvel 1923, San Martín 2003

Syllidae

Syllisamica Quatrefages, 1866

Fauvel 1923, San Martín 2003

Syllidae

Syllisarmillaris (O.F. Müller, 1776)

Fauvel 1923, San Martín 2003

Syllidae

Syllisbeneliahuae (Campoy & Alquézar, 1982)

San Martín 2003

Syllidae

Sylliscfmayeri. Musco & Giangrande, 2005

Aegean Sea, Greece

Aguado and San Martín 2007

Syllidae

Sylliscolumbretensis (Campoy, 1982)

San Martín 2003

Syllidae

Sylliscompacta Gravier, 1900

San Martín 2003

Syllidae

Sylliscorallicola Verrill, 1900

San Martín 2003

Syllidae

Sylliscornuta Rathke, 1843

Fauvel 1923

Syllidae

Syllisgarciai (Campoy, 1982)

San Martín 2003

Syllidae

Syllisgerlachi (Hartmann-Schröder, 1960)

San Martín 2003

Syllidae

Syllisgolfonovensis (Hartmann-Schröder, 1962)

San Martín 1984

Syllidae

Syllisgracilis Grube, 1840

Fauvel 1923, San Martín 2003

Syllidae

Syllishyalina Grube, 1863

Fauvel 1923, San Martín 2003

Syllidae

Sylliskabilica Ben-Eliahu, 1977

Italy

San Martín 1984

Syllidae

Sylliskrohni Ehlers, 1864

Fauvel 1923, San Martín 2003

Syllidae

Syllisprolifera Krohn, 1852

Fauvel 1923

Syllidae

Syllisrosea (Langerhans, 1879)

Fauvel 1923, San Martín 2003

Syllidae

Syllisvariegata Grube, 1860

Fauvel 1923

Syllidae

Syllisvittata Grube, 1840

Fauvel 1923

Syllidae

Sylliswestheidei San Martín, 1984

San Martín 2003

Syllidae

Trypanosylliscoeliaca Claparède, 1868

Fauvel 1923

Syllidae

Trypanosylliszebra (Grube, 1840)

Fauvel 1923, San Martín 2003

Terebellidae

Nicoleavenustula (Montagu, 1818)

Holthe 1986

Terebellidae

Amphitritidesgracilis (Grube, 1860)

Fauvel 1927

Terebellidae

Terebellalapidaria Linnaeus, 1767

Fauvel 1927

Supplementary material 1

Number of polychaete records in the Mediterranean from OBIS

Data type: Microsoft Excel file

Brief description: Number of polychaete records in the Mediterranean in five-year intervals since 1960. Data from the Ocean Biogeographic information system, plus additions from the present dataset.

File: oo_4274.xls

Sarah FaulwetterSupplementary material 2

Number of species per family

Data type: Microsoft Excel spreadsheet

Brief description: Summary of the number of species per family.

File: oo_4271.xls

Kleoniki KeklikoglouSupplementary material 3

Number of species, genera and families per sampling station

Data type: Microsoft Excel spreadsheet

Brief description: Overview of the number of taxa per sampling station